Despite his apology immediately following the choke job on a teammate, Renaldo Balkman was fined and banned for life by the Philippine Basketball Association. PBA commissioner Chito Salud explains the heavy-handed decision (per Inquirer Sports): “For initiating threatening physical contact with a referee followed by a prolonged, offensive, belligerent if not aberrant on-court decorum directed toward game officials and his Petron team mates and superiors, including the head coach and assistant coaches, amounting to a blatant and utter disrespect for the game, his own ballclub, the League, the fans and his host country, import player Renaldo Balkman is hereby meted the following penalties: Ban from playing in the Philippine Basketball Association; and, A fine of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pesos (PhP250,000.00). In arriving at this decision, I took into consideration Balkman’s track record as a player, including the head-butting incident during a FIBA-Americas game between Puerto Rico and Venezuela and his altercation with the bench of the Alaska Aces during a pre-Season game in Cebu City. I also took into consideration Balkman’s evident disregard for local and the host country’s sensibilities highlighted by his choking act on-court in full public view of his own teammate who was trying to pacify him. Stiff as it maybe, this decision upholds the tenets of contextual accountability and the over-all interest of the League and the fans. I do encourage passion for the game but I also want to firmly instill a culture of accountability among our players. If one does something that violates the rules and the norms of sportsmanship and decent behaviour, he will be made accountable.”

UPDATE: BALKMAN’S STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE BAN

We just got the following email from Renaldo Balkman’s publicist, Shawn Zanotti of Exact Publicity:

“I would like to thank my teammates, the fans who have given me unconditional support and I adore, the Philippines Basketball Association and the entire Petron Blaze Boosters organization for allowing me to do what I enjoy doing best—playing the game of basketball.

I fully accept all responsibility for my actions, expressed frustration, during the midst of an intense game. I would especially like to apologize once again formally to Arwind Santos as I would never intentionally inflict harm on another human being, especially him, a teammate who I care for and respect deeply. Again, I am sorry for my irresponsible actions. I apologize whole heartedly for acting unprofessional. I obviously let my game disappointment and emotions get the best of me.

This was a life-learning lesson that I will ensure will never be repeated. To my other fellow basketball colleagues, I am sorry. Our industry should maintain the highest level of professionalism during all times.

If you missed former NBA player Renaldo Balkman choking a teammate on his new team in the Philippines, check it out here. As an apology, Balkman issued this statement through his publicist:

“I, Renaldo Balkman, would like to apologize to my teammates, the fans, the entire Philippines Basketball association, and the entire Perton Blaze Boosters organization. I would especially like to apologize to Arwind Santos and his family. I would never intentionally inflict harm on another human being, especially a teammate who I respect deeply.

My behaviors, during a very intense moment of a heated game, came as a surprise even to me. It is not in my character to react physically in any situation and this is the first time I have ever behaved in such a manor. My actions were out of line and I am ready to fully accept any consequences for my actions. I hope that the Petron Blaze Boosters management will recognize this unfortunate situation as a slip up that will never happen again.”

After he was infamously drafted by the New York Knicks in 2006-’07, Renaldo Balkman bounced around the NBA for six seasons. He now finds himself hooping in the Philippines, and last night, Balkman choked one of his teammates. SPIN has the details: “Petron import Renaldo Balkman went wild near the end of a 73-83 loss to Alaska on Friday night, confronting referees, defying coaches, and choking teammate Arwind Santos in a chaotic ending that put serious questions on the former NBA player’s stint in the PBA. The game was all but over in the dying seconds when a frustrated Balkman lost the plot after a non-call on an offensive play late in the match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, confronting the referees and later shoving away Petron coaches and players who tried to pacify him. The 6-6 former New York Knick first have Petron assistant coach Biboy Ravanes a push, then later shoved Ronald Tubid as his teammate tried to get between him and the referees. When Santos stepped in and retaliated after being shoved by the import, Balkman completely lost it. He held the Petron star in a choke, reminiscent of the Latrell Sprewell attack on coach PJ Carlesimo during their chaotic days together at Golden State. Cooler heads finally restored order before Balkman walked to the dugout alone.”

Defensive-minded swingman was cast away from the New York Knicks in order to make space for JR Smith, but according to the NY Post, he might not wind up too far on the map from his previous location: “Nets coach Avery Johnson has not tried lately to hide his desire for an upgrade at small forward. He already has started five different players at the position this season, and the search could lead to Renaldo Balkman, waived when the Knicks signed J.R. Smith. NBA sources confirmed the Nets have some interest and are researching Balkman and the possibility of adding the 6-foot-8, sixth-season veteran out of South Carolina out of South Carolina. The Nets’ need has been glaring. Consider the Nets ended their 97-85 upset of the Bulls yesterday having been outscored on the season at the starting small forward position, 500-188, or 15.6-5.9 per game. And that included a whopping 57-0 in two games before yesterday when DeShawn Stevenson was scoreless against the Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay (25 points) and the Pacers’ Danny Granger (32 points).”

Here’s some footage of a little tussle that went down during Monday’s Puerto Rico-Venezuela game, when New York Knick/Puerto Rico swingman Renaldo Balkman headbutted Memphis Grizzlies/Venezuela guard Greivis Vasquez. Balkman was unsurprisingly ejected after the fight.

A college standout at the University of South Carolina, the former Gamecock has fond memories and meaningful roots on the East Coast. When he heard the story of 13-year-old Anthony Frederick, Balkman was eager to help.

Frederick’s mother Dru was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago. When she was finally cancer free, the vicious disease struck again. This time it was Frederick’s father, diagnosed with Leukemia, a disease characterized by an abnormal increase in white blood cells.

In an effort to raise awareness and further cancer research, Frederick started the organization KICK (Kids Inspired by Cancer Kampaign), in which he raised $15,000 by himself.

This past Wednesday, Balkman gave the seventh-grader a surprise visit at Dent Middle School in South Carolina, where the two worked side-by-side to squeeze lemons and sell lemonade to help fund cancer research. They raised nearly $3,000, and Balkman concluded the surprise visit with complementary Knicks tickets for Anthony and his family. SLAM caught up with the five-year veteran to discuss the event, his plans for the summer, and his goals for the upcoming year.

SLAM: How did you hear about Anthony Frederick and his situation?

Renaldo Balkman: One of the members of his family knows me from high school, so I’ve known the family for some time. I heard his story and it touched me. When you’re a kid, your most valuable possessions are toys. So for a kid to be selling his own toys for money and awareness… that hurts a lot. I figured I could help him raise some money by squeezing lemons at the lemonade stand.

SLAM: Has anyone in your family or friends been touched by cancer?

RB: No, but I still wanted to step up and make a difference. It’ll be a nice surprise, hopefully lift up his spirits.

SLAM: Did you have a goal in terms of how much money you wanted to raise?

RB: I didn’t have a goal; I just want to raise enough money to help him out, and to build a relationship where I can keep helping out in the future.

SLAM: Is this a one-time thing or do you plan on going back/following up with Anthony and his family?

RB: We squeezed lemonade for only one day, but I’ll definitely be coming back, because I got family and kids in South Carolina and I also know the family. When you have roots and you know the family, it’s important to keep checking in with them.

SLAM: That’s great. Now onto basketball. What’s the current mindset of the Knicks? Your team got swept in the first round—that must have been tough. Do you still have a salty taste from the loss to Boston?

RB: Yeah man. I mean, the biggest step for us this year was to make to playoffs. That was a stepping-stone because the franchise hadn’t been there in a while. You know, you have to crawl before you walk. Next year our goal is to make it farther than we did this year. This year we came up short, and it hurts. We could have won the first two games, but we didn’t so there’s no excuses. We just have to come back harder next year and get after it.

SLAM: I hear that… What’re you doing this off-season to stay in shape and get better?

RB: Every off-season is a chance to work on your game and get better. I’ve been staying in the gym, working on what people tell me I can’t do. I’ve been shooting a lot, doing some conditioning. We gotta play ball man, it’s our livelihood.

SLAM: No doubt. You’ll also be playing on the Puerto Rican National Team, right?

RB: Yeah, I’ll be in Puerto Rico at the end of July. We’ll be playing in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. Like I said, I got to keep working on my game and this will help me do that. Playing in the World Championships is practice to try and win a gold medal in the Olympics. I’ll also be holding a skills and drills camp down in Puerto Rico. It should be fun, just to hang out with the kids and help them develop their games.

SLAM: You guys won gold medals at the Centrobasket and Central American Games last year, and you were named MVP. How’s the team compared to the rest of the world? Does Puerto Rico have a realistic shot?

RB: As you said, we’ve won some gold medals in the smaller tournaments we played in last year, so we’re constantly improving and trying to perform at a high level. This year we’re trying to win a gold medal and get the spot in the Olympics. So we have a chance.

SLAM: There are two viewpoints that players and analysts have towards the effects of summer basketball. Some say summer ball gets you better, while others will attribute a slow start or nagging injury to a summer hangover. What’s your take?

RB: In my early years I got a lot of minutes, but I haven’t played as much as I wanted to, so the summer is an opportunity for me to get better and stay in shape. I don’t think your exhausted by the beginning of the season. At least I’m not. Like I said, the day I take a break or rest is the same day someone else is getting better. So every time I get a chance, I’m in the gym. I don’t want to go back to training camp and then fall behind. I want to keep working, so I can beat the man next to me when training camp starts. I want to come back next year and make a difference.

SLAM: How was it playing on an undersized team in New York? You didn’t get many minutes in Denver but came to New York and stepped on the floor almost immediately. We saw you play the 4 many times this year. Was that new to you? Frustrating at all?

RB: I am a natural 3 but was playing the 4. It was tough playing the 4, but I’m a versatile defender. I’ve guarded every position from shooting guard to center, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. But it’s a mental thing. I’ve been in the league so long, been working on my game constantly. So at this point you gotta just stay in your routine and show everyone in the world that you can do what the coaches ask of you.

SLAM: Amen. Another one of your teammates, Anthony Carter, was in a similar situation. He came back and gave the team a solid effort pretty much every night. That was special.

RB: Anthony Carter is a veteran. Even in Denver when he wasn’t playing, he always had a positive attitude. When I wasn’t getting burn in Denver, there were times when I was going to hit the wall, but AC kept me going. He kept me so strong and made me a fighter. He’s just a great guy. When he got an opportunity, he just had lots of energy and played defense. I love playing with him. It was good for him to get a chance, to show everyone he still has game.

SLAM: What’s the team’s goal for next year? Is the focus already in place?

RB: We want this ring, but we gotta take it one step at a time. Our first goal is to make it back to the Playoffs. Once you get into the Playoffs, it’s a whole new season. Hard work and preparation will get us places, because we have the talent.

SLAM: Who you rooting for in these finals? Any picks?

RB: [Laughs] No comment. I’m rooting for the New York Knicks, but we’re not playing. I wish the best for everybody, but I wish it was us.

So…long time, no talk. I hope you don’t take it personally. We’re still friends, right? Still cool? Good. Because you understand, don’t you? You, you SLAM readers and fans, you guys know we are grinding over here at the SLAM Dome, working hard to put out the very best magazine we possibly can, month after month after month. You may have just received or finished reading SLAM 133, the tenth anniversary issue, but here in the Dome, we just yesterday got SLAM 134 out the door and to the printer. It is another dope issue, this time a theme issue, one I’ve been hoping we could pull off for a while. It wasn’t easy but we pulled it off. You’ll see it here on SLAMonline soon enough.

In the midst of all that, I also had to work on the season premiere of “The Beat” on NBA TV, the show I’ll be appearing on every week for the remainder of the season. I’ve done more radio show appearances than I can even begin to tabulate, and I’ve discovered the secret is to be able to talk in coherent sound bites for 20-30 seconds at a time. The host asks you a question, and then your job, as an “expert” guest, is to carry the show for a few seconds. You need to say something interesting and insightful that people haven’t heard elsewhere, and you can’t stammer and stutter. And then, if you can manage to be funny on top of that, you’re good.

(And while I’m immersed in schedule notes and shout-outs, when the Hawks battle the Knicks here in NYC on Wednesday night, Nov. 11, I’ll be sitting in with Steve Holman, the Voice of the Hawks, doing color commentary on the Hawks radio broadcast of the game. I’ll post a link where you can listen online as the date approaches. Might need help getting someone to record it again, too.)

I’ve done a fair amount of TV, but usually either as a guest being interviewed, or on taped stuff, where you can screw up and it doesn’t really matter. On “The Beat,” I’m responsible for an entire segment about the internet and blogs, where I’m gabbing and moving things along and introducing new subjects. That’s something I’d never done before, so it was interesting to do it for the first time on live television. It didn’t help me look any smoother as I was on with three pros — Marc Fein, Shaun Powell and David Aldridge. But they carried me and the show was good. Here’s the final segment (I’m doing it via Skype live from my desk in the SLAM Dome)…

And don’t miss our second show on NBA TV, this Tuesday night, live at 6:00 p.m. EST.

• It’s been interesting to watch the first week of the NBA season, if for no other reason than to see Brandon Jennings killing everyone he comes across. If you are a SLAM reader, it should not come as a totalsurprise.

Now, our good friend Chad Ford from ESPN.com wrote a story noting that he had Jennings in the top five of his mock draft for the last year, but then he runs down a list of reasons teams passed on Brandon.

Ford quotes one NBA GM as saying:

I’m not sure how you take a kid without a real body of work that high. I know this is a weak draft, but are we really taking kids who have struggled to produce in college or Europe in the lottery? I’m all for upside, but it’s ridiculous. If Jennings can’t get on the floor in Italy, how does he help my team in the next couple of years?

Without a real body of work? You mean like the way he dominated at Oak Hill Academy in high school? Or played on national TV in the McDonald’s Game? Or played on international TV in the Euroleague last season? That’s a body of work.

Now, maybe you’re a GM and you saw him play and you decided for whatever reasons that he wasn’t a good fit for your team. Fine. But if you looked at his skill set and deduced that he wasn’t going to be an effective NBA player, you were wrong. Brandon can play, just like most reasonable people knew he’d be able to do. You can admit that you were wrong, that’s fine. Some teams didn’t need a point guard, and I can understand passing on Brandon because of that. Other teams say he didn’t test well or didn’t play well in their one-on-one workouts against other point guards. Hey GMs, if you’re looking for a great one-on-one player, I think The Professor is still available!

Brandon’s numbers in Europe weren’t eye-popping, but his ability was. I guess you had to see him play to understand that. And I guess a lot of GMs didn’t do their jobs.

By the way, my favorite part of this dunk over Paul Milsap was how Melo pounded his heart afterwards and yelled, “I’m back!” Now go back to this and look at the end of the post, and look at what Melo told me back in August.

• The CP3/Rondo cold war is amusing if only because I wonder if this could turn into something more long-term. Remember how Jordan supposedly kept Isiah from being on the Dream Team and winning a gold medal? Well, you know how CP3 is close with LeBron and all the guys currently involved in USA Basketball? Will CP3’s private recourse be keeping Rondo from ever getting a gold medal?

• How about the contract extension the Nuggets signed with Renaldo Balkman? It’s a three-year deal, and I’m assuming it’s for a reasonable amount of cash, but what’s really interesting to me is that they put in bonus money for minutes played and for the amount of wins the Nuggets have. Balkman can’t really control his own minutes, obviously, but according to Hollinger his money escalates at either 1100 minutes or 1250 minutes, as long as the team wins 42 games. If he averages about 14 and a half minutes per, like he did last season, he’ll total just over 1200 minutes this year. And if Balkman is logging more than 1200 minutes in a season, will the Nuggets be winning more games than they lose? Either way, fascinating contract.

After the Jazz got knocked off by the Rockets earlier this week, Ross Siler wrote in the Salt Lake Tribune that Sloan “called out his team in so many ways after the game, I couldn’t even get them all in my game story.”

Sloan unleashed!

“Well, we couldn’t keep them in front of us,” Sloan said. “I mean, what am I supposed to go guard them? Hell, no, I couldn’t guard them, and neither did we.

“When then drove by us, they’d find somebody open and they’d make a pass for an easy shot and that’s what we had. That’s basketball at its best, and they showed us what it’s like.”

More on the defensive shortcomings: “If you’re looking at a guy’s rear end all night, how can you say that’s good defense? And that’s what we looked at as the guys drove by us – – we got a good look at their rear ends and that doesn’t give you much of a chance to stop them.”

• Check out Rafer’s response at the end here when asked about nobody on the Nets retaliating after Chris-Douglas-Roberts took a hard foul. I love that he began his answer with, “Indeed.” Who is he, Sherlock Holmes?

• How about Rasheed Wallace picking up a technical foul after he felt he was fouled and the refs actually called a foul on the play! Guys normally get T’d up when they don’t get a call, not when they get the call. But not Sheed. Which is why we love him.

That’s that for this week. Have a great weekend and catch you all next week.

Nuggets reserve forward Renaldo Balkman has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Florida. Balkman, 25, was arrested by Temple Terrace, Fla., officers at 4 a.m. Saturday after he refused a blood-alcohol test, according to a police report on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Web site.

Mike D’Antoni reassures Balkman that, despite his claims, the Knicks don’t regret trading him away: “First of all, who’s that?” D’Antoni was about to walk away from the conversation when he realized it was a bit cold — even for the player we all know by the nickname, ‘Cool’ — and explained. ‘We don’t have regrets, no,’ he said. ‘We only had him for a little bit and he wasn’t going to play a whole lot. We don’t’ regret playing [Wilson Chandler] a lot of minutes and that would be taking Will’s minutes away and Gallo’s minutes. Now, we didn’t know that Gallo was going to be hurt like that, but when we made the trade we thought Gallo would take all the minutes up. It would be kind of crazy for even him to want to be there. So that was the thought behind it.'”

Andddd, I’m wishing it was Friday. The earliest I’ve gone to sleep this week was just before 5 a.m. Yikes. I was thinking about being in university and pulling all-nighters and have been wondering why I’ve been getting tired and then it hit me. All-nighters happen every few weeks, or during exam periods. Not every night, consecutively for the better part of six months. Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just, be patient with me if I call people the wrong name, like, say, Troy Murphy being called Mike Dunleavy. Yup, did that yesterday. I think it happened because I was watching the Clips/Cavs and was wishing I could be inside Coach Dunleavy’s head as Zach shot that three.

Antonio McDyess with 21 points… and a career-high 22 rebounds. We are in a time-warp. That’s crazy.

Damn Rockets and Lakers were running up and down the court so fast I was having a hard time keeping up. The Lakers ended up taking the game 102-96.

@jeskeets summed it up perfectly on Twitter when he said, “Artest and Kobe talkin’ trash is the perfect example of why I’d pay $59.99/month extra for ‘Mic’d Up NBA League Pass’.”

In the fourth quarter of the LA/Houston game, with the Lakers up two, Kobe took exception to Artest guarding him tightly and threw a little shove. Crazy move against a guy like Artest. Ron got into his face and everyone quickly separated things with memories from the Palace flooding my mind. Ron was great, and the hero was Kyle Lowry who got into Ron’s face and reminded him that they needed him on the floor. He and Kobe were both given double-technicals and from that point, one player soared and the other faltered.

Can you guess who soared?

Kobe finished with 37 points and 6 assists as he led the Lakers in the fourth and hit some daggers late to close out the game. Ron had a tough night, but his Rockets played a great game, especially with Yao being strangely quiet in the second half after starting out strong. It was fun watching Scola/Yao/Pau go at it and Josh Powell was solid for LA. In the start he had 17 points and 9 rebounds. Yao finished with 16 points as Scola added 15 and 9. Aaron Brooks is a tough guy out there on the floor. He had a ridiculous three as he was fouled by Derek Fisher to keep the Rockets in the game and then hit the free-throw to complete the three point play. Brooks finished with 14 points on the night. Von Wafer stuck it to the Lakers, his former team, and dropped in 20 points, including four big ones down the stretch.

The frustrating thing about this game for the Rockets is, they had it. They were up by 11 at the half, and then threw it away in the third when the Lakers went on a 20-6 run to close the third quarter. The fourth one was as good as any that I’ve seen this season. Back and forth, but the Lakers just had that little extra, that comes when you’ve got Kobe on your squad.

Big win for the Lakers without LO. Big game from the Rockets as they proved to me they could take some of the other teams in the West if they get the right situation in the playoffs.

And, if we’re keeping track the Rockets announcers have Kobe as their MVP. I’m just saying. This race is getting better by the day.

This may be the best NBA article I’ve read all year. Please, please, please check it out. It’s also by one of the best NBA journalists in the business. Jackie MacMullan is just so much better than almost everyone else when it comes to writing about basketball. So many good pieces in this article. Just read it.

Syrcuse won last night against Seton Hall, and Jonny Flynn had himself a great game with 19 points and 11 assists. He is my NCAA guy, now that we are getting oh-so-close to the madness, who is yours? Not the best player, or who you think will be the best when they make it to the L, just the guy you root for more than any other? Which player fires you up and gives you something new to appreciate each time you watch them play?

I’ve still got Flynn’s steal, bucket and free throw from the game against Marquette on my mind.

Can we please start a petition asking Doc Rivers to play Leon Powe more, even when KG and Davis return? He had 23 and 13 last night and he produces every time he’s in the game. I’ve been singing this song for awhile now. Let it be, Doc. It’s time.

Chris Paul had 30 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 109-98 win over the Wizards last night. Jones said it yesterday, and it’s true. LeBron had a triple-double Tuesday night and it wasn’t really fawned over yesterday. He really is that good. Crazy.

Laker fans, NBA fans and those who enjoy listening to Phil Jackson: Check this article from Dave McMenamin over at NBA.com. Some nice anecdotes from Phil, including a few I’d never heard him say before. Phil’s the best.

One more link for today, although this one will grab your heart. Scott Fowler speaks with Rodney Rogers about the accident that has left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. The part that got my eyes misty,” He wants you to know his story. He wants you to understand that he has not lost his faith. Or his hope.” A beautiful soul inside that man, to go along with a resolve and a strength that is unbreakable. Thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Rogers, his fiancee and family.

Toronto lost 115-106 in Philly and there isn’t really a story to report there, other than they gave up 67 points over the final two quarters. Yuck. Thaddeus Young had himself a big night with 29 points as Samuel Dalembert had 19 points and 13 boards. Andrea Bargnani had 20 points for the Raptors and Pops Mensah-Bonsu continued to impress on the glass as he led the team with 8 boards in 17 minutes of action.

Orlando killed Chicago, 107-79 as the Bulls shot only 31% for the night. Tony Battie had 18 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Magic as the starters sat for most of the second half and Dwight Howard had 15 points and 9 boards. Courtney Lee added 14 points. John Salmons had 18 points for the Bulls as Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon combined to shoot only 3-22 from the floor.

Denver took down OKC 112-99 and it was Renaldo Balkman who helped the Nuggets stay in front to end a three-game losing streak. Balkman was given the start and finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds to compliment 22 points from Carmelo Anthony and 17 points and 9 assists from Chauncey Billups. The Thunder were led by Jeff Green’s 19 points, Earl Watson’s 18 off of the bench and 13 from Russell Westbrook.

Golden State grabbed the 116-112 victory over the Nets last night, surviving a late push from the Nets as Vince Carter hit a three-pointer to bring the Nets within two, 112-110 with 16 seconds remaining. After free throws from Jamal Crawford, Devin Harris missed a three and then Crawford sealed the game with more free throws in a game that saw Monta Ellis make his return to the floor. Ellis and Crawford each had 19 points as Stephen Jackson led the way with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Harris led NJ with 31 points 9 assists and 7 rebounds while Vince Carter and Brook Lopez each added 14 points apiece in the loss.

Miami 107 Boston 99

You can tell from his face that Dwyane Wade lives for hitting the game clinching shot. After doing just that in dramatic fashion on Monday night, Wade was able to deliver the final blow to the Celtics last night as his three-pointer with 34 seconds remaining nailed the coffin on Boston to give them their second straight loss. After leading by five at the break, the shorthanded Celtics were helpless against Miami, getting outscored 32-18 in the third. A 16-2 run by the Celtics got them back into the game down the stretch, but Wade refused to allow them the victory as he scored eight points in the final four minutes of the game, including five straight to keep his guys in front.Wade finished with 32 points and 7 assists as Jamario Moon scored 13 to go with 8 rebounds and Jermaine O’Neal added 12. The Celtics were led by Ray Allen with 27 points as Leon Powe had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Paul Pierce added 16 in the loss. The Celtics are now two games behind the Cavs in the race for homecourt.

New York 116 Detroit 111 OT

During my liveblog I couldn’t really watch other games, but thanks to Russ, I did flip to the end of regulation for the Knicks and Pistons and saw Larry Hughes get fouled while attempting a three-pointer. Hughes made all of the free throws to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining and the Pistons screwed themselves out of a final play by losing the ball out of bounds. The Knicks couldn’t convert either and they went into overtime where things stayed close until midway through where the Knicks started to pull away. A huge long two from QRich (that he thought was a three), sealed the game for the Knicks. Nate Robinson scored 30 off of the bench. David Lee had 16 points and 18 rebounds and Hughes added 22. Antonio McDyess had a huge game for the Pistons, with 21 points and 22 rebounds. The rebounds were a career-high. Rip Hamilton scored 27 points to go with 9 rebounds and 5 assists, but he also had 8 turnovers. Rodney Stuckey had 23 points to go with 8 rebounds and 8 assists and TayShaun Prince added 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Dallas 93 Portland 89

The Mavs found themselves in a close one against the Blazers one night after their big win against the Suns. While they outscored Portland 30-19 in the second quarter to take a lead going into the second half, Portland fought back and cut the lead to only two points early in the fourth. With an ailing Brandon Roy there wasn’t a shortage of Blazers to step up, but just when it appeared they may be able to take over the game, as Travis Outlaw used his length to steal the ball from Jason Kidd, rather than scoring as they trailed by two with less than a minute to go, they turned the ball over. On the following possession, Dirk Nowitzki rose and drained a jumper to put the Mavs up four with 17 seconds remaining. After another miss from Portland, the Mavs went up six thanks to two free throws from Brandon Bass, and even a three from Travis Outlaw to cut the lead down to three wasn’t enough for the Blazers. Dirk finished with 29 points and 10 boards, Jason Terry added 24 off of the bench, Erick Dampier added 12 points and 9 rebounds and Jason Kidd added 7 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 23 points and 15 rebounds, Brandon Roy scored 22 points, Joel Przybila added 9 point and 15 boards and Travis Outlaw added 20 off of the bench.

Atlanta 100 Utah 93

The Utah Jazz knew that eventually their winning streak would come to an end, they just weren’t ready for it to be last night. Falling to the Hawks, 100-93, the Jazz trailed 55-42 at the half, but were able to make a run in the third to take a two-point 75-73 lead into the final quarter. This is where the magic would end for Utah as they were outscored 27-18 in the fourth and were unable to score from the floor for the final five minutes of the game. While a shot from Mehmet Okur put the Jazz up 89-87 with 5:01 remaining, the Jazz wouldn’t hit another field goal as Joe Johnson scored on a short jumper to the Hawks the lead for good. Johnson finished with 31 points and 9 assists for the Hawks as Josh Smith scored 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and Al Horford added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Deron Williams had 20 points and 9 assists for the Jazz in the loss as Okur finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Paul Millsap added 16 off of the bench.